18 Saudis banned from all 26 Schengen countries

The Latest on the slaying of journalist Jamal Khashoggi (all times local):

Germany’s foreign minister says Berlin has banned 18 Saudi nationals from entering Europe’s border-free Schengen zone because they are believed to be connected to the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.

Heiko Maas told reporters in Brussels on Monday that Germany issued the ban for the 26-nation zone in close coordination with France, which is part of the Schengen area, and Britain, which is not.

He says “as before, there are more questions than answers in this case, with the crime itself and who is behind it.”

Maas says the 18 are Saudis who are “allegedly connected to this crime” but gave no further information.

In Berlin his office said they can’t release the names due to German privacy protections.

President Donald Trump said there is no reason for him to listen to a recording of the “very violent, very vicious” killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, which has put him in a diplomatic bind: how to admonish Riyadh for the slaying yet maintain strong ties with a close ally.

Trump, in an interview that aired Sunday, made clear that the audio recording, supplied by the Turkish government, would not affect his response to the Oct. 2 killing of Khashoggi, a columnist for The Washington Post who had been critical of the Saudi royal family.

Trump said he “was fully briefed on it, there’s no reason for me to hear it.” Trump is expecting a full report on the situation soon.